After catching them live this fall and watching the BET special yesterday. I'm a little hype. There's link on bet.com to get a early listen.

If you are in New York City JQuad they are playing BB KINGS WED 4/27/05.
[Edited 4/25/05 16:08pm]

I'm gonna catch them thurs. in DC

Cool then we will comapre shows on friday!!!!! enjoy!!!!

JQuad said:

http://www.prince.org/msg/8/142779

The show on thurs. was tight. Mint brought it. I had the pleasure of meeting them afterwards. I didn't get to talk bass stuff w/ Rick K. but it was cool. They are all shorter than I thought. I'm taller than half the group and I'm only 5'8. They even came through the after party that had Darrin Henson(Lem from soulfood) and Labron James there. I can't say what hasn't already been said. I can't wait for the full lenght dvd. I think Stokley said it will be out in sept.

THey should have signed with Pasiley park

they couldn't.....Prince choose Carmen

kidcreole said:

Oh, HELL NO! Then Prince would get all the credit for "ghostwriting" their songs and they would have been just another Paisley Park production. I'm so glad they didn't.

Yeah probably so. Brownmark has said Prince ruined Mazarati's image by putting them in all that make up and what not. However Jellybean groomed Mint, Prince groomed the Time so....indirectly Mint benefited from a each one teach one concept.

JQuad said:

JQuad said:

Is this an indirect attempt to give Prince credit for Mint Condition?
I'm just curious. Keri Lewis is Terry Lewis's nephew. Of course there's a connection, but these boys worked their asses off without the MN stigma hanging over them. They are the truth.

Nope....no attempt to give Prince credit for Mint. Jam & Lewis have stated in interviews that Jellybean brought Mint to their attention because Bean was more familiar with the local scene. J&L were busy during that period. In earlier reviews and interviews Mint,J&L,Jellybean have stated that "Bean and Popeye" groomed or fine tuned their songwriting and studio techniques and what not.

Now upon hearing that KL and Terry are cousins is very interesting. Whether that was a factor in getting them a deal is debatable. But then again anything is possible.

BlaqueKnight said:

It's funny BK that you should say that b/c that's what I thought JQ is trying to pull myself.

Well in the "life's aquarium" cd credits they say in their thanks "the artist- the chain reaction started with you". Nothing more nothing less. Like I said earlier they benefited from teachings from Jam & Lewis and Bean that they "may" have gotten from their period in the Time.

We've all heard stories how Prince used to rehearse the Time. Mint got the encouragement to write their own tunes,in addition to showcasing their tight musicianship. Whereas the Time did not have the same songwriting encouragement.

Mint has outlasted the rest of the perspective roster.

JQuad said:

I never heard that quote from Brownmark about Prince ruining Mazarati. I would submit what ruined Mazarati was that secong album that never saw the light of day. That shit straight stunk. Prince had those boys looking like the next big thing from the Mpls scene - 100MPH still works and the only reason that you wanted to see the video was to see how different they looked.

kidcreole said:

Brownmarks said it. It was true. And Mazarati had one of the best albums of 87' in my opinion.

Mint Condition is truly one of the best real R&B Bands out there,they write,compose,arrange,produce and PLAY!! real music!! I have been a fan of Mint since they came on the scene. I have their latest CD LIVING THE LUXURY BROWN. Mint also put in a live DVD recorded live in DC, they perform some new and classic songs, they are truly talented, the band is TIGHT!!,when Mint performs Pretty Brown Eyes (which they tear it up!! ) O'dell is using a purple cloud guitar the same one that Prince uses, on the fretboard you can see the symbol markings. It is good to see and hear REAL MUSICANS play live and keep it SOULFUL & FUNKY!!

Stokely's voice is so poignant. Glad to see them back at it.

BlaqueKnight said:

So true - the R&B BAND (as opposed to the R&B singing group) is dead. Mint Condition is the only good one to emerge in the last 20 years. It is a sorry state of affairs for real black music. thank God for Prince.

kidcreole said:

I disagree that they are the only good band since 1985, but I agree that it is truly a sad state of affairs for real black music. Labels have successfully manipulated an entire culture's taste by bombarding them with bullshit. All for the sake of profit. Real musicians are taking jobs far beneath their playing abilities and are all playing behind solo acts because the record industry simply collectively decided not to sign black bands. At first it was watering them down by way of "key member clauses" where only certain members in the band are actually "signed" to the label and they pay the other members. Then, when bands still kept coming, they just stopped signing them altogether. Of course this was while they weened the R&B audience on keyboard-dominated R&B and phased out the promotion of music with live instruments. Suddenly it became a producer's market and if your ass didn't play keyboards or know how to sequence & sample, then you were out of luck unless you were willing to change genres. Mint has hung in there through thick and thin and I'm glad they did. Its up to people like everyone posting in this thread to spread the word, though. I go to used CD places, buy their CDs and give them to people I know just to get them interested in real music. Sometimes you have to do things like that to get other people to see the light. Its not the 80s anymore. Good music won't come to you via your t.v., radio or any othert means of conventional promotion of the past. Word of mouth is the key. That and this gigantic catalog called the internet.

If there was EVER a statement in whcih I read that THOROUGHLY explained the condition of the Black music culture is this:

[q]Labels have successfully manipulated an entire culture's taste by bombarding them with bullshit.[/q]

I couldn't agree with you more, BK. It's a clear case of Supply and Demand...but in a FUCKED UP WAY!: The music companies SUPPLY us with bullshit and EVENTUALLY weak minds will start to like it...and then the DEMAND for it goes up...and at that point, that's all she wrote. Sad.

BlaqueKnight said:

OK but name another real band - in BLACK music - of any real note since 1985. Black people are going to let yet another music genre that we created be bastardized and mutated into something that we dont recognize or remember. This is why mostly white folks patronize jazz. This is how rock became "white" music.

I have to hand ot to the Mint Condition. Their new album has the pay the bills R&B radio format cuts - as all of their albums do - but they always try to stretch out. This new record sounds like a little league Rainbow Children. Of course the composition and performance isnt what Prince did but no one else is out there doing what these brothers do. For that reason, they are the last real R&B band that matters.
[Edited 5/10/05 9:18am]

As a former member of a NJ-based funk band, I know how hard it is to maintain a positive outlook on things. We got much love as far as live performances are concerned, though; there is definitely an audience that appreciates musicianship. Record companies are another thing, altogether. Plus the fact that we were doin' all originals...hard road to travel.

Much props to Mint Condition for stayin' in the game - their CD is tres cool and the bonus DVD is an added treat. Odell pulls out the blue angel replica on Pretty Brown Eyes. Sounds good, too!!

as I get ready my bands rehearsal I reflect that the only black bands out are MC and the Roots. Both were started pre-1990 and had their 1st release in in the early 90's yet no others have come after them. There is an audience for bands and live music. Live music has to now take the grass roots route that early hip hop took. I don't see many other options for other bands or mine. The independant route will have to,and will,work.

Besides the wack performances of mainstream artists continue to give bands a boost. I don't those getting any better.

JQUAD I agree with you, and good luck with your band KEEP THE FUNK ALIVE!!
I had a band back in the early 90's we were about to ink a deal with Virgin Records ( we tried Pasiley Park first but they were not looking at new artist's! at the time ) but the Gulf War happen (the majority of us were in the military and we went to the Gulf) after the War the band members went different ways.But thank God for Prince, THE TIME, Mint Condittion, The Roots, and any live band out there keeping it real, the time will come when Real Funk will come back to the Airways, MUSICOLOGY must be learned by the Whack Fakers out there....PEACE!!